How to take pictures of the ‘Super Blue Blood Moon’

How to take pictures of the ‘Super Blue Blood Moon’

Tonight sees a big lunar event called the “Super blue blood moon” with three lunar phenomena taking place across the globe. In the UK, the moon is closest to us in its orbit so the moon will be around a third bigger than usual.

Landscape and travel photographer and Canon ambassador David Noton has put together his top tips for photographing tonight’s events.

So what does “Super blue blood moon” actually mean? Well it’s the second full moon in the month which is commonly called a “blue moon“, while a “super moon” is when the sun, the moon and the Earth line up perfectly as the moon orbits the Earth, making the moon appear to be much bigger in the sky than usual. This is the first time in 150 years that both will be visible at the same time.

Finally, what’s the blood moon? That’s a moment during an eclipse when the moon appears red due to the filtering of sunlight through the Earth’s atmosphere. And yes, there is an eclipse – this is visible in Australia, Asia and some of the United States but not in the UK.

Other parts of Eastern Europe, Africa and The Americas can see it at moonrise or moonset. In the US, the blood moon will happen at 5.51am ET, 4.51am CT and 2.51am PT.

Noton is planning to shoot the Super Blue Blood Moon rising over the Jurassic Coast in Dorset. “It’ll be a fascinating logistical exercise requiring military precision, although cloud cover often scuppers even the best laid plans.” He says he’ll be using the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV with an EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Ext. 1.4 x lens.

With a portfolio of jaw-dropping landscape and travel images, including multiple, David has been leading his field for over three decades. At 60 years old, David is still with his preferred Canon camera and lens being the EOS 5DS R, EOS 5D Mark IV, EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM.

So what are David’s best Super Blue Blood Moon shooting tips?

1. Be in-the-know

The sun’s position in the sky at any given time of day varies massively with latitude and season. That is not the case with the moon as its passage through the heavens is governed by its complex elliptical orbit of the earth. That orbit results in monthly, rather than seasonal variations, as the moon moves through its lunar cycle.

The result is big differences in the timing of its appearance and its trajectory through the sky. Luckily, we no longer need to rely on weight tables to consult the behaviour of the moon, we can simply download an app on to our phone.

The Photographer’s Ephemer is is useful for giving moonrise and moonset times, bearings and phases; while the Photopills app gives comprehensive information on the position of the moon in our sky.

2. Invest in a lens with optimal zoom

One of the key challenges we’ll face is shooting the moon large in the frame so we can see every crater on the asteroid pockmarked surface.

It’s a task normally reserved for astronomers with super powerful telescopes, but if you’ve got a long telephoto lens on a full frame DSLR with around 600 mm of focal length, it can be done, depending on the composition.

3. Use a tripod to capture the intimate details

As you frame up your shot, one thing will become immediately apparent; lunar tracking is incredible challenging as the moon moves through the sky surprisingly quickly. As you’ll be using a long lens for this shoot, it’s important to invest in a sturdy tripod to help capture the best possible image.

Although it will be tempting to take the shot by hand, it’s important to remember that your subject is over 384,000km away from you and even with a high shutter speed, the slightest of movements will become exaggerated.

4. Integrate the moon into your landscape

Whilst images of the moon large in the frame can be beautifully detailed, they are essentially astronomical in their appeal. Personally, I’m far more drawn to using the lunar allure as an element in my landscapes, or using the moonlight as a light source.

The latter is difficult, as the amount of light the moon reflects is tiny, whilst the lunar surface is so bright by comparison. Up to now, night photography meant long, long exposures but with cameras now capable of astonishing low light performance, a whole new nocturnal world of opportunities has been opened to photographers.

5. Master the shutter speed for your subject

The most evocative and genuine use of the moon in landscape portraits results from situations when the light on the moon balances with the twilight in the surrounding sky. Such images have a subtle appeal, mood and believability.

By definition, any scene incorporating a medium or wide-angle view is going to render the moon as a tiny pin prick of light, but its presence will still be felt. Our eyes naturally gravitate to it, however insignificant it may seem. Of course, the issue of shutter speed is always there; too slow an exposure and all we’ll see is an unsightly lunar streak, even with a wide-angle lens.

On a clear night, mastering the shutter speed of your camera is integral to capturing the moon – exposing at 1/250 sec at f8 ISO 100 (depending on focal length) is what you’ll need to stop the motion from blurring.